Draft-pocket.



C. A. HUMPHRYS.

DRAFT POCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1910.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

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C. A. HUMPHRYS.

DRAFT POCKET.

' APPLIGATION FILED JAN.22. 1910.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

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BY c

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Smiles i DRAFT-POCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Application filed January 22, 1910. Serial No. 539,539.

To all whom 'it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. HUM- rI-IRYs, citizen of the United States, residing at Chico, in the count-y of Butte and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft- Pockets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in draw-bar draft pockets; and it consists in the novel details of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional plan of one end of a car, showing in plan the application of my invention; Fig. 2 is a combined middle vertical section and side elevation of the draft-pocket and draw-bar; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3`3 of Fig. 2 showing in addition the bottom plate or bearing broken to expose the neck of the pocket-cylinder; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the pocket detached.

The object of my invention is to provide a draft-pocket for draw bars on all classes of passenger or freight cars, which will allow of a free radial or oscillating movement of the draw bar as the car is making a curve while coupled to a car, the pocket being eminently adapted for the sharpest possible curves permissible in practice.

A further object is to provide a pocket which shall be simple, durable, easily replaced, and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from a detailed description of the invention which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, l, l, represent the sections of a plate or bearing bolted to the bottom I-beams 2 or sills of the car, the two plate sections being coupled together by bolts 8 passed through alining hollow bosses or formations 4, 4, formed at opposite edges of the plates. The assembled sections 1, 1, form a seat or bearing for the annular flange or head 5 formed on the cylindrical neck 6 projecting from the peripheral walls of the pocket cylinder 7, the axis ofwhich is parallel to the floor of the car C when the parts are in place. The cylinder 7 is thus freely rotatable in a horizontal plane about its transverse axis, the flange 5 resting on a corresponding annular flange or bearing 5 formed about the cenv tral opening of the bearing, the neck 6 playing freely within the walls of said opening. The flange 5 is held in position by the bottom fianges of the I-beams, the latter spanning or overlapping al portion of the flange when the parts are assembled.

The cylinder 7 is provided with terminal front and rear pockets P, P, separated by a central transverse division wall 8 which wall serves to support the inner ends of the front and back springs S, S respectively, the outer end of the front spring S bearing aga-inst the front abutment or flanged disk 9 of the coupler-stem bolt 10, whereas the outer end oil" the back spring S bears against the rear abutment or disk 9 of said bolt. The disk 9 is held in place by a nut 11 which in turn is secured by a Cotter-pin 12 passed through the bolt. The front disk 9 bears against the shoulder s formed at the base of the forward enlarged head 10 of the bolt, this head serving as the direct support for the draw-bar or coupler 13 which may be of any approved type, either automatic or of the link and pin variety (the latter being here conventionally illustrated). The draw-bar is secured to the coupler-stem bolt-head 10 by means of rivets r passed through the head and basal portion of the draw-bar.

On opposite sides of the peripheral Walls of the pocket-cylinder 7 are disposed enlargements or cheeks 14, provided each with a longitudinal opening for the free play of a rod 15, the forward end of which carries a hook 16 which may be coupled to a chain 17 on the next car, the rear ends of the rods 15 being connected to the car carrying the cylinder by chains 17 hanging more or less loosely from the car. So that in the event of breakage of the main coupler, the hookedrods 15 and chains 17, 17 may act as safety couplers. Under ordinary service conditions, however, these safety devices perform no service, there being no draft exerted on the chains. They are merely intended to serve as safety devices in the event of the parting or breakage of the coupled drawbars of two contiguous cars, the chains normally hanging loose so as not to interfere with the oscillations of the cars.

Since the pocket-cylinder 7 is freely rotatable about the axis of the flange or head 5, it is obvious that as two coupled cars are passing over a curve, the draw-bar carried by the cylinder will oscillate freely in a horizontal plane about the same axis (the axis of the flange 5 corresponding to the transverse axis of the cylinder 7) to conform to the curve over which the cars are passing.

The front spring S takes the compressions or blows, and the back spring S takes up the draft during the various oscillations of the draw-bar, and this feature is one of considerable advantage as all jarring is virtually eliminated.

By removing the nut ll it is obvious that a spring may be readily removed and a new spring applied, the bolt l0 freely playingthrough the division wall 8, so that it may (by removing the nut 11) be withdrawn at any time to allow for the removal of the springs when new springs are tobe put in place.

The pocket member 7 need not necessarily be a true cylinder, but the cylindrical form is the most convenient.

The nut ll obviously may be used to 'adjust the tension of the springs S, S.

Such features as are illustrated but not referred to are well known and require no description in the present connection.

Having described my invention, what I claim is tion of the cylinder, a flanged bearing plate for supporting said head, in combination with a coupler-stem bolt` passing axially through the cylinder and playing loosely in the division wall aforesaid, abutments carried by the bolt at points beyond the opposite ends of the cylinder, springs encircling the bolt and confined in the pockets, the ends of the springs bearing respectively against the division wall and their respective abutments, and meansfor securing a draw-bar to the coupler-stem bolt at a point in front of the forward abutment, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. HUMPHRYS.

lVitnesses ADoLrI-.r H. MEIER, CHARLES W. CAMPER. 

